Adhesive applicator for french folding mechanisms



AIM J. B. ODONNELL ET AL 2,937,41

I ADHESIVE APPLICATOR FOR FRENCH FOLDING MECHANISMS Filed Nov. 21, 1950 v James B. afD nnel 1 Philip L. Q'Dohne ll Patented Apr. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADHESIVE APPLICATOR FOR FRENCH FOLDING MECHANISMS Application November 21, 1930, Serial No. 497,092

8 Claims.

This invention relates to shoe working machinery, and particularly to means for attaching tape to the edges of shoe uppers. The particular attachment of the tape contemplated herein is known as French folding and the machine illustrated is of the type which effects such a fold.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved means and method for effecting adhesion of the tape to the shoe upper.

Another object is to provide such means by which danger of spreading or smearing the adhesive material over parts of the shoe beyond the taped portion, is eliminated.

Another object is to provide means of this kind in which the use of heat for effecting a proper adhesive state of the tape is eliminated.

Another object is to achieve these results with means simple in manufacture and use and efficient in operation.

These objects are attained by the means described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view representing conventionally a French folding machine with the means of the present invention attached thereto, parts being shown in cross section.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 33 ofFig. 2, the bottom edge of a. positioned shoe upper being turned outwardly to disclose a French fold.

The difficulty encountered in the particular phase of the shoe working art under consideration herein has been the application of tape to the edge of shoe uppers in such a Way that a permanent attachment is effected. One method has been to apply a common form of adhesive tape in a cold state tothe edge of the shoe upper. The disadvantages of this method lies in the fact that there was a tendency of the tape to adhere to parts of the leather or to other adjacent objects before reaching the folding machinery whereby inconvenience and delay result. Moreover it was found that under certain conditions the adhesive material was not in a proper state to effect permanent adhesion of the tape so that an uneven attachment resulted. Another method has been to apply heat to the adhesive material just before its application to the leather. The difficulty here was experienced in retaining a proper degree of heat for achieving the best results. The present invention overcomes these difiiculties by providing means for applying rubber in a raw and liquid state to the taping immediately before folding of the latter upon the shoe upper. Briefly this is accomplished by forcing the raw rubber or latex under air pressure, from a convenient supply to the point of operation as described. Under this method plain tape is utilized so that there is no danger of the adhesive material coming into adhesive contact with other objects before reaching the operating point.

The folding machine conventionally illustrated herein comprises a body 5 supporting a pair of spaced lateral arms 6 and 'I disposed one above the other in parallelism. The operating mechanism of the machine is indicated by the pulley 8 and belt 9. The arm 6 is provided at its outer end with a shuttle which moves the leather across said arm in the manner of a sewing machine. The arm I has attached thereto portions of the mechanism, conventionally represented and comprising a supporting arm I0 which has the knurled roller 22 upon its outermost end, said roller serving to retain the shoe upper in proper position in its movement across the shuttle. Intermediate the end of arm I the guide finger I I is adjustably disposed, said finger serving to properly retain the unfolded tape in position for the subsequent folding operation. The arm 6 which is hollow has the forked folding finger 23 associated therewith, said finger being disposed adjacent the finger I I and being reciprocated by suitable mechanism transversely of the edge of the shoe upper for folding the tape. A hammer 24, the operation of which is subsequent to that of the folding finger 23, is likewise associated with the arm 6. Hammer 24 applies pressure to the folded tape for assuring its permanent attachment. Adjacent the body 5 of the machine an electric motor I2 and air compressor I 3 is positioned. Upon the top of body 5 a supply tank or container I4 is attached. The container I4 and compressor I3 are connected by a communicating pipe or conduit I5 by which air under pressure is supplied interiorly of container I4. Inside of the container a stub pipe I6 provides a continuation of the conduit I5, and has at its free end an attachment I! by which air is emitted in two directions within the container as indicated by the small arrows in Fig. 1. At the bottom of the container adjacent the attachment II a port I8 is provided from which exteriorly of the container a pipe I9 extends, said pipe having a suitable sup-porting bracket as indicated at 20. Pipe I9 is preferably semirigid so that its free end 2| 'may be disposed in a desired position relative to the work being operated on by the folding mechanism.

It is to be understood that one edge of the tape 25 is stitched, previous to the operations herein contemplated, to the outer face of a shoe upper 26. These joined members are then positioned upon arm 6 with the stitched edge of the tape turned down and the main portion thereof extending beyond the edge of the shoe upper as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The guide finger ll serves to raise the tape into an angular position relative to the shoe upper 26, (Fig. 3) and it is at this point, adjacent one edge of arm 6, that the end 2| of pipe i 9 is positioned for applying the liquid adhesive to the tape and to the adjacent portion of the shoe upper. The end 2| is preferably flattened for effecting a greater dispersion of the adhesive liquid and likewise to assist in the vaporous or semi-vaporous ejection thereof.

The pressure of air entering container I4 is directed upwardly through the liquid in opposite or divergent directions as indicated by the arrows (Fig. l). A pressure of air is thus built up, between the top surface of the liquid and the top of the container, and at the same time a churning and constant movement of the liquid in the container is effected whereby precipitation and adherence of the liquid to the interior of the container, is precluded. The liquid, mixed with air, is ejected through port l8 into pipe l9, in which a valve 27, for controlling the flow, is positioned. The ejection, in a vaporous or spray condition of the aerated liquid from pipe end 2|, results in the application of a thin effective coating or film thereof to the side of the tape about to be folded down and to the immediately adjacent portions of the shoe upper. The density of the applied coat of latex may be regulated by valve 2? so that both a surplus and an under supply thereof may be avoided.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with mechanism for folding and pressing tape upon the edge of a sheet of material and providing for continuous movement of the work therethrough, of a container disposed adjacent the mechanism, means for injecting air under pressure into said container, and. an outlet pipe communicating with the interior of the container and having a free end disposed adjacent to and in advance of the folding mechanism whereby liquid adherent placed in said container may be continuously applied to the constantly-moving tape before folding thereof.

2. In combination, a French folding mechanism providing means for continuous movement of the work therethrough, a liquid container adjacent thereto, means for injecting air under pressure into said container, means for directing the injected air in divergent currents within the container and through the liquid normally contained therein, an outlet pipe communicating with the interior of the container, and a control valve thereon, said outlet pipe having its free end disposed adjacent to and in advance of the folding mechanism and in alignment therewith whereby liquid adherent placed in the container may be continuously applied in a spray state to constantly-moving work about to be folded.

3. In combination a French folding mechanism providing means for continuous movement of the work therethrough, a liquid adhesive container, and an atomizer for discharging an aerated spray of the adhesive just ahead of the folding members of said folding mechanism.

4. In combination, a French folding mechanism providing means for continuous movement of the work therethrough, a liquid adhesive container, an outlet pipe communicating with said container and having its free end disposed adjacent and in advance of the folding mechanism, and air pressure means for agitating, and aerating the liquid adhesive in the container and for continuously ejecting the liquid in a spray state from said outlet pipe onto the constantlymoving work about to be folded.

5. In combination, a French folding mechanism providing means for continuous movement of the work therethrough, a liquid adhesive container, air pressure means comprising a conduit communicating with the interior of the container and terminating interiorly of the container in a two way air outlet disposed beneath the normal level of liquid in the container, and a discharge pipe with control means thereon, said pipe communicating with the interior of the container and having its free end disposed adjacent and in advance of the folding mechanism, said air pressure means being adapted to agitate and aerate the liquid adhesive and to discharge it continuously in a spray state from the free end of said discharge pipe.

6. The method of applying tape to the edge of shoe uppers and comprising attaching one edge of the tape to a face of the shoe upper adjacent an edge thereof with the tape projecting beyond said edge, applying a jet of aerated liquid adhesive in spray form to the portions of the tape and shoe upper about to be joined, and folding the sprayed portions of the tape upon the sprayed portions of the shoe upper.

'7. Means for joining edge tape toleather or other material and comprising means for holding the tape and leather adjacent to and in angular relationship with one another, means for spraying with liquid adhesive the opposed surfaces of the tape and leather in the angle between the two for effecting subsequent adhesion thereof, means for advancing the leather and tape and for effecting said angular relationship at a constant point relative to the spraying means, and means for pressing together the tape and leather after spraying thereof.

8. The method of binding an edge of material with tape, comprising attaching a longitudinal edge of the tape along an edge of the material with the body of the tape projecting outwardly of said latter edge, advancing the work and at one point holding up the body of the tape in angular relationship with the material, spraying with liquid adhesive the opposed surfaces of tape and material at said point of angular relationship for effecting subsequent adhesion of the two, and pressing together the tape and material after spraying thereof.

JAMES B. ODONNELL, PHILIP L. ODONNELL. 

